


Jail Break

by honestgrins



Series: In a World [6]
Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/M, day six - myths and legends, klarolineauweek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-15
Updated: 2016-10-15
Packaged: 2018-08-22 13:31:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8287486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honestgrins/pseuds/honestgrins
Summary: Day 6 - Myths and Legends: After a thousand years of running, Klaus takes advantage of an ancient witch's collection to hide from Mikael. The woman in the next cell has an enchanting voice, though she refuses to engage with him. And what is special about her that landed her in this collection anyway?





	

It was supposed to be an easy hiding place. Mikael had been spotted in Greece, and Klaus just needed to lay low so the monster couldn't find him. An ancient witch bragged about a collection of oddities, so Klaus casually let it slip that he was truly a hybrid - a vampire with a tragically hindered werewolf gene.

Sure enough, Silas was overwhelmingly cordial in an invitation to see his gallery of sorts. After a brief tour of magical legends - a unicorn, a manticore, a chimera - Klaus tried to hide the triumph as the witch magically cast him into a cell of his own.

"Finally, a werewolf," Silas crowed happily. Klaus played the part of an enraged occupant, throwing himself against the invisible barrier keeping him trapped. "I've always wanted one, and a vampire, too. Truly a magnificent catch."

"And what do you intend to do with me?"

Shrugging, Silas's grin turned feral. "I did say I wanted a wolf," he answered, raising his hand in a menacing fashion. "A curse should be easy enough to break."

Tortuous hours later, Silas grew bored and left Klaus gasping in his cell. Protection was one thing; actual torture was another. While Klaus would give anything for his werewolf side to be released, he had little faith the witch could accomplish it by poking at him in captivity. Though he refused to admit a misjudgment, Klaus figured an escape plan would be prudent.

And then he heard her.

Klaus didn't remember seeing any humanoid creatures, but an ethereal voice was humming from the cell next to him. "Hello," he called.

The humming stopped abruptly, though no response came. "Who are you?" he tried again.

Silence settled over him, and the lack of blood made Klaus tired. His eyes drooped closed, and the voice began to sing just before he could fall asleep. A thousand years, and he never bothered to learn Greek. Still, the song was soothing, the strains ringing in his ears as he drifted off.

* * *

The days continued. Silas would spend a few hours wringing every bit of magic out of Klaus in hopes of breaking his curse, only for him to throw a blood bag into the cell so he could try again the next day.

Klaus took in his surroundings, talking through various scenarios to attempt an escape plan. In the quiet hours when he was sure he'd gone crazy, the voice would return. Her sweet and pearly tone was a comfort and a curse, for Klaus often found himself flattened against their shared wall.

"Who are you?" he would keep asking. "How did you get here?"

Her lack of communication wasn't for a lack of understanding, he knew, because she sang in a number of languages.

Even now, she was singing a terrible American ballad from the 80s. "Come on, love," he cajoled. "Surely you could use some real conversation."

Klaus thought it odd that Silas never acknowledged her during his visits, though she must be visible to him in her cell. He was able to speak freely, but the woman never did.

Instead of answering, she just kept humming. "You're just trying to drive me to madness," Klaus accused quietly.

A small hitch in her voice was the only signal she even heard him, but it was a large enough victory for Klaus. She could not withstand him forever.

* * *

"Another day, another failure," Silas sighed. He shook his head in disappointment. "I really thought I managed it that time."

Thoroughly exhausted, Klaus didn't bother to raise his head. "Might as well let me go if you can't manage to get the precious werewolf out of me," he taunted.

Tossing the blood bag through the spelled entrance, Silas just laughed. "I've broken stronger optimism before, hybrid. Don't worry, you'll succumb one day." He turned and vanished on the spot, leaving Klaus to his solitude.

"He's right," the voice said, quiet in its utter hopelessness. "You should give up. He'll grow tired of you eventually."

Suddenly alert, Klaus sat up. "Is that what happened to you?"

She was quiet again, and Klaus silently prayed she continued to speak. He felt drawn to her somehow, and he needed the interaction. "What's your name?" he asked, desperate to keep her talking.

"Just give up, okay?" she sighed, though he could hear annoyance in her voice. "I don't need you getting my hopes up about escaping."

Klaus wondered at the optimism Silas bragged about breaking. "Were you the one he spoke of?"

Minutes passed without an answer, and Klaus assumed she was done speaking for the night. As an hour rolled by, he was horrified that she didn't even hum to herself.

In the first night since his arrival, he had only the sound of his breathing to keep himself company as he fell asleep.

* * *

Klaus abhorred weakness, refused to show it even if the strength required to fight pain wasn't worth expending. When he screamed at a twitch of Silas's hand, then, he knew it was time to move on. Whatever the witch was doing, it was too much for even him.

"Stop it!"

Unable to move from his prone position, Klaus's heart lifted at the woman's plea. She had stubbornly kept quiet since their spat days earlier. The fact she spoke up for him; well, he would dig into that thought after he managed to escape.

"Caroline," Silas sighed, though he didn't look away from Klaus. "Do I not keep you in this gilded cage for your own protection? Do you lack for any entertainment or care?"

"A cage is still a cage," she answered angrily. "I might have accepted my fate, but stop hurting him. If he can't give you what you desire, just let him go."

Cocking his head, Silas just smiled. "Once more, with feeling," he joked. He raised both hands, twisting the air as Klaus's bones broke inside him.

Rather than the blinding pain he expected, though, all Klaus felt was a sharper focus. A millennium might have passed, but he still remembered the first and only time he turned - and he knew it was happening again. Gnashing his teeth with the effort, Klaus flipped over to be on all fours. Fur sprouted as his bones continued shifting, his skin stretching painfully until a new structure was fit out.

If the wolf paws below him weren't sign enough, Silas's sick look of satisfaction would serve as proof. A werewolf again, and a hybrid finally.

Klaus's curse was broken.

Unfortunately for Silas, the spell containing the vampire had no effect on the wolf. Klaus flashed forward, tearing through the witch's throat before he could utter a word. Like a dog with a rag toy, Klaus let the blood fly as he tore Silas to pieces in the dungeon. He only stopped when a hiss of joy sounded from behind him.

Twirling, Klaus achingly transitioned back to his human form in hopes of getting his first glimpse of his mysterious neighbor. He was surprised to see nothing but himself, a mirror in place over the entrance to the next cell. "How do I get you out?"

"He dissolves the wall with his hand," she answered breathlessly.

Klaus looked around, conveniently finding Silas's disembodied hand by his foot. Picking it up, he placed the hand against the mirror, only for the woman to scoff.

"Not there," she explained derisively. Tapping on the wall, Klaus followed the noise to her direction. "Here."

Smirking, Klaus just held the hand off the wall before letting her out. "And how would you know this?"

"It's a two-way mirror," she said, sounding impatient. "Just, close your eyes and place the hand against the glass."

He shrugged as he did exactly that, though he didn't bother to close his eyes. What an odd instruction.

"No, wait-" she cried.

The wall immediately disintegrated despite her hesitation, and Klaus gazed over the the pretty blonde squeezing her eyes shut. "You're beautiful," he whispered, raising her chin for a better look. Still, she kept her eyes closed.

"I'm also dangerous," she snapped, pulling her head from his grasp. "I need you to close your eyes so I can grab some essentials before we go."

Glancing around, Klaus was surprised to see a comfortably furnished room complete with books and an entertainment center. "How did I not hear any of this?"

She shrugged, whipping around to throw clothes and valuables in a pillowcase. Klaus vaguely noted an iPad and headphones among them. "Self-absorption is my guess, but that sounds like a personal problem," she finally answered, looking up. Eyes wide, she panicked when she realized he was looking straight at her. Then, her eyes fell, taking in his nude form. Slamming a hand over her eyes, she seemed to be waiting for something.

Rolling his eyes, Klaus flashed upstairs to Silas's main house in search of clothes. He returned fully dressed, though the woman was still frozen. "I'm dressed now, you can look."

"No, I can't," she said miserably, clenching her hand more tightly to her face. "You don't understand, I'll kill you."

Klaus snorted, stepping closer to gently pull her hand down. "You can't kill what's already dead," he pointed out.

Eyes wide again, her gaze was incomprehensible. "That's not possible," she whispered in horror, even as Klaus noted the exact sea-green of her eyes. "You shouldn't be able to look at me without dropping dead."

"Caroline, is it?" he asked condescendingly. "I'm not sure why you think you have more power than an immortal hybrid, but we should go."

"Silas was immortal," she countered angrily. "He still took the necessary precautions to never meet my eyes."

Confused, Klaus shook his head. "All due respect, you're just a little girl."

"This isn't my true form," she bit out, pulling her hand from where it still rested in his. "Just as he enjoyed toying with you, Silas took great pains to experiment with all creatures. He managed to turn me human, though it had no effect on my powers or my own immortality."

Raising a hand to her cheek, Klaus found himself drawn to her. "And what, pray tell, is your true form?"

With a smirk of her own, Caroline let her fangs drop in a hiss. "I'm sure you've heard of a basilisk."


End file.
